In this news alert:

PANAMA – Reduced Validity for Provisional ID Cards

On 28 December 2016, the Panamanian government issued an executive decree that reduced the validity period for provisional ID cards from one year to six months.

A provisional ID card (carné de trámite) is issued as a proof of status while a foreign national’s residence visa is being processed. The new validity period of six months should still be long enough to cover residence visa processing.
There is no change to the validity period of entry permits for tourist or visitor visas.

Action Items

Foreign national employees in Panama waiting for the issuance of their residence visa should expect to be issued a provisional ID card valid for six months, rather than for one year as previously.

This news alert was prepared using information provided by BDS Asesores.